I'd recommend it to a friend.

(I suppose it's time to wrap up the story of our travels to New England. This is the final installment, but if you need to catch up, click here and then here.)

My days in Vermont were spent largely without my husband as he was busy attending meetings. I lived it up, though. My youngest and I went hiking a lot and he fell asleep wrapped up against Mama at every chance he got. I was so happy to breathe in the fresh mountain air, gaze down at my baby, and remember all that is good in this world.

I visited the state house...

 

On sunny days, people gathered in the grassy area relaxing in the rare sunlight. Folks from all walks of life could be found there- some taking their first steps, others sprawled out from a long morning at work. It reminded me of a common area that could be found on any college campus. I got the feeling there was plenty to do, but everyone was focused on not doing it. Instead, brief moments to pause and appreciate the day were had out in front of the state's capital.

At night, when J was relieved of his requirements at Norwich, we searched for activities to fill our time. One of my favorite evenings, we came across a vineyard in the Vermont countryside. We enjoyed some wine tasting and the first peeks at sunlight we had seen for the whole trip!

We also enjoyed evening dinners when Baby A let us eat in peace.

There were several good restaurant options in the city. Many of them focused on locally grown, organic produce. We didn't really have a bad meal the whole time we were there. Expensive meals, on the other hand, is another story!

The little, tiny towns that are dispersed throughout VT are precious.

 

But perhaps my favorite place we visited was Stowe. Captain J got the day off after graduation and the sun was shining. We set off to explore and it turned out to be my favorite day of the entire visit. We definitely did the tourist thing. On our way to Stowe, we stopped in Waterbury for the Ben & Jerry's ice cream factory. We got to see the graveyard where all the old flavors go to die. Of course, we enjoyed some ice cream outside, too.

 Then we got in the car again to visit the Von Trapp Family Lodge.

 

It was lovely. In case you aren't familiar, this is the location where the family depicted in The Sound of Music lived after leaving Austria . There's a lot more history involved with this family that is quite interesting, too. Anyway, we walked around the grounds, enjoying the amazing views.

Then we enjoyed a glass of wine celebrating this graduate:

I had such a great time. The graduation ceremony went smoothly. The baby was an angel for hours. It was ideal! I'm so proud of my husband and all of his accomplishments. Congrats, babe!

Have you been to Vermont? I'd totally recommend it to a friend!

Ask Mrs. K

Top of the mornin' to ya! I noticed I've got some new faces around here--welcome! I thought I'd let you all get to know me a little more by answering some questions I've been asked in the blogging world recently. Also, I love to follow back so let me know if you've followed and I haven't returned the favor, ok? I appreciate each of you! Thanks for providing the following questions, Lisa (and thanks for the blog award, too!).

1. First three movies in your Netflix queue?
Um, err...what's Netflix? Kidding. But honestly, I haven't watched a movie in I don't know how long. Every time I think I might want to, I think of five billion other things I should be doing instead. I need a chill pill.

2. Where is your dream vacation?
I've always wanted to go to Italy. I'd love to rent a villa in the countryside, throw open the windows and feel the breeze on my face. I'd sip on wine, nibble on bread and cheese, and fantasize about moving there.

3. How long have you been blogging?
I've been blogging in some capacity for years. As far as this blog (on blogger) goes, it has almost been a year.

4. Sweat pants, yoga pants or something else?
I'm for the pants that are going to make my butt look a little bit bigger and not so flat. Those pants are my friend.

5. Do you prefer road trips or all-inclusive vacations?
My younger, carefree self would say "road trips, for sure!" Now that I'm a parent, I think the latter might be a heck of a lot easier.

6. What TV show is your guilty pleasure?
The Bachelor. What's their record on successful relationships now? 2 out of 8,000? I'm so excited to watch the upcoming finale of Sean's season.

7. Home cooked meals or take-out?
Both have their place in my heart.

8. If you could time travel, where and when would you go?
I think I'd go back to Christ's death and resurrection. I'd want to carry that memory with me so as never to forget the sacrifice that was made for me.

9. What is your favorite Disney movie?
I always loved The Little Mermaid the best.

10. Do you write blog posts ahead of time?
Sometimes

11. What do you like most about your significant other?
I love his loyalty to our family. I enjoy watching him with our sons and knowing I can trust him wholeheartedly.

Now, it's your turn! What burning question have you always wanted to ask me? Leave it in the comment section and I'll address it next time around. I hope each of you have a great weekend!

Adios (and a winner announced!)

“To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.” – Bill Bryson

Remember this little beach bum?

The little one, not the big one...

Well, he's at it again. Baby K and I are off to Mississippi today sans daddy. We're awfully sad to leave him behind, but the trip is very brief so we'll surely make it without him for a day or two. 

We're driving to the coast to see "Pap" and "JuJu", K's grandparents. Here's to hoping there's a lovely, sunshiny beach or pool day in our near future.

I miss the Cap'n already...

Love,

P.S.- Two winners have been chosen! Congrats to Kris at The New Normal for being the lucky recipient of the Target GC. Also, Rhe Christine at Cammo Style Love will be receiving the PayPal gift. Thanks to all who entered!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Just Because It's Friday

Unfortunately, I just got back from Walmart with yet another box of Gobstoppers. I hate those blasted bins that beckon candy lovers like me. But, oh well, it helps paint the picture of how pathetic I am today. I'm not wearing makeup. I've somehow stuffed my enormous 20 Week belly bump into a size 6 pair of shorts. I haven't showered. I've barely eaten. 

And I miss my husband like crazy. As much as I like to think the Army has helped me to become more independent, I'm not sure that it's true. This mom is counting down the days until January when we can part ways with the military and (hopefully) likewise unpredictable work schedules. It might be nice to know exactly when my husband has to work, but right now that concept is completely foreign to us. His work schedule changes every day. This rotation has been okay, but I'm more than ready for it to be over. For those of you who are new 'round these parts, Captain J is in the field every two weeks. Crap gets old. Quick. Sometimes he gets to come home late at night, sometimes he spends the night out in the field. No matter- he works long hours and rarely gets to see little K- which is why I'm sad J won't be able to join us at the beach this weekend.

K Baby and I are leaving in the morning to go to the Mississippi coast to meet my dad, step-mom, and 3 of my brothers/sisters. I'm excited to go even if it is just for a short period of time. They haven't seen Baby K since he was 4 months old! Our last visit with them was at Christmas. Seeing loved ones once a year is really, really lame y'all. I'm glad we can at least squeeze in two visits.

Let's see...there's more going on in my little world, too:

*Yesterday, I saw the end of the laundry pile. It was a miracle from on high. Photo for the blog, of course-

The lovely Mrs. Nix from Local at Last gave me an award! I'd really, really like to thank the academy....oh, wait. Wrong dream. Anyway, she offered up 11 Questions that I'm supposed to answer. Ready made blog material? I'll take it!

1. What is your biggest fear and where does it come from?

I'm deathly afraid of birds. My fear is getting more manageable as time passes but it comes from a deep rooted memory that I think I'll never shake. I had many run-ins with the evil creatures as a young tyke. One day, I was actually pooped on by a bird twice in a 24 hour span. That's neither here nor there, though. The real problem I have with birds evolved due to a certain chicken. I was staying with a friend and her family had free roam chickens on their property. Most would scatter when I got close so I developed a sort of confidence (I use this term very lightly) around them. Well, big mistake. A chicken had gotten stuck in the barn/shed thingy and when we leisurely opened the doors the creature flew out. It passed two of my friends and turned in a 90 degree angle towards me where it continued flapping its wings (on my head!) and scarring me for life.

2. If you had to live in another country or state for the rest of your life, where would it be?

Tennesse- home sweet home to me

3. When you were young, how did you picture the way your life would turn out? Is it accurate?

I didn't picture this, but you know what? This is so much better.

4.When was the last time you told someone you loved them and meant it from the bottom of your heart?

About 30 minutes ago. I tell Baby K all the time. I'm sure he's going to become really annoyed with my habit when I call him every five minutes when he's 33.

5. This question was about souvenirs. I don't really collect any.

6. All time favorite photo of yourself? I don't really have one. Sorry. Please substitute the below photos as close calls.

7. What is your favorite holiday tradition?

Dressing up for Halloween! And don't tell me Halloween isn't a holiday...that makes Mrs. K very angry.

Where's Waldo and Curious George Halloween 2011

Cindy Lou Who

KISS

I take it pretty seriously.

8. Your plane crashes into the ocean and you're now stranded on a desert island- what do you do?

Pray. Work on my tan. Frantically try to remember all those nifty tricks I learned on survival shows.

9. Who's your celebrity man-crush?

I'm partial to Tay Diggs or Grey's Anatomy Guy #1 or Grey's Anatomy Guy #2. Oh, I don't know...

10. Who's your celebrity girl-crush?

Meg Ryan is still my fav.

11. Why do you blog?

I blog to keep me sane. I blog because of my need to share. But most of all, I enjoy being connected to people from all over. I've made many real life friends and online bloggy pals through blogging and it has been awesome.

Thanks, again for the award, Mrs. Nix! 

Do you want this award, too? I tag you! The only catch is you have to have under 200 followers. 

I'm linking up here today:

Vacations on the Brain

1. What's the best trip you've been on?
Easy-  Our honeymoon in Hawaii! (Please ignore our dorky faces)

It was 6 months delayed and much anticipated so we planned the heck out of it. There was never a dull moment. We went ziplining, scuba diving, snorkeling, sipped fruity drinks and went to a luau.

2. What's the best idea for a girls weekend trip?
Well, since so many of my friends are located in the East TN area, I think a trip to the Smoky Mountains for the weekend sounds amazing. We don't really like to go out so enjoying each other's company sounds like vacation enough for me. I just don't get enough time with my besties! We'd rent a cabin, sip on wine, scrapbook maybe if Meaghan is with me, giggle, and catch up with everyone. Ahh, girl time! I can dream, can't I?

3. Best idea for a couple's trip?
Alone time with my lova is prized! Although, after a few days, we can't sit still. We crave adventure. Going some place tropical, some place new to both of us would be the ticket? I think Belize would be nice.

We would need the perfect mix of relaxation and exploring. Here, we could use our mad diving skills and relax on the beach.

4. Best cheap vacation?
My grandparents own a condo on Siesta Key so lodging is pretty cheap-- you can't beat free! It's not as crowded as most of the beaches in Florida since it's on a private beach area. I'm perfectly content to only leave the condo for food! I could sit here all week and not spend a dime...

5. Place you most want to visit?
I'd love to spend a couple weeks in Italy. I've always wanted to go!

Now I'm in vacation mode. Oh, how I miss our travels. 

Thanks for stopping by!

(Most of the above photos were obtained via a Google Search)

My Little Beach Babe

Thanks for all the love on the latest guest post! Kristin responded to each of you so if you get a chance, go look at what she had to say.

Obviously, I'm back from the beach. Woo hoo! And I've got to say-

I am so proud of lil man. He was an angel. The drive wasn't bad. He slept well in the hotel room. He came, he saw, he conquered.

He's not too fond of the beach, but pool time seemed to be a hit. I wasn't too fond of the beach either really with Tropical Storm Debby making her presence known during the trip. The waves were huge, though and that was cool to see on the gulf. Usually Florida's waves are tiny in comparison to other places I've seen.

We didn't do much aside from sit around and stare at each other...but we did EAT. We ate a lot. I like to eat in case you haven't gathered that from my recent preggo photos. Of course I had to limit my seafood intake, but I didn't worry too much about my hush puppy intake. Oh.my.gravy.

I do love hush puppies.

Anyway, one night Captain J and I were allotted a date night- just the two of us. It was so nice even if we did end up talking about our child(ren) most of the night. We went to a restaurant on the beach while a storm was brewing. We sat outside for our appetizers, but when it got too windy we moved underneath the deck so that we at least had a shield from the whipping wind. It was gorgeous. Alone time with my husband is prized so I enjoyed his company and conversation more than anything.

Now, I'm back in hot-as-the-blue-blazes Louisiana and hibernating in the air conditioning for the remainder of the summer so I guess by the South's definition of seasons, I'll see ya in October. Good grief. It's hot.

(P.S. Last week marked the end of SOMEthing's Drawn. No one linked up so I think I'm going to retire it. It was fun while it lasted! ;) )

Buh-bye

A brief hiatus is in order,

for a certain couple on the Georgia border

We're off to frolic, hand in hand

and place our toes back in the sand.

Goodbye, farewell, I'll write again,

but not until after I work on my tan.

Love,

Mrs. K

splendid sun

Instead of frantically searching craigslist for a job so the hubby and I don't have to hit the poor house (due to the pay freeze), I'm chillaxin in a comfy chair in a breezy, beautiful place and perusing failblog and failbook. They make me giggle.

Jenn and I have had a great time here doing absolutely nothing. The weather has been beautiful since that one rainy day and we've taken advantage of it, relaxing in the sun. In an effort to save money (due to the pay freeze), we prepared all of our food here (except for that tee tiny trip to the bagel place).




I'm anxious to find my way back to Georgia to the arms of my husband. Today, he told me: "I've completely forgotten how to function without you." Apparently, he's been living off of ramen noodles and Pizza Hut delivery. Bless his bones! I'll be home soon, babe ;)

While away, I worked really hard to finish the book I was reading. Do you see the sarcasm here? I actually wasn't working hard at all. I was reading on the beach, day after day, to bring you this book review:

Khaled Hosseini crafted the words in a new favorite read of mine, A Thousand Splendid Suns. I had heard so many good things about this book and finally found it at a repeat store in Columbus for a little over a dollar. I found a jewel with that purchase! I will say that the book might get you fired up! It might make you sick to think of the injustice in the world. It might make you see a tiny glimpse of the heartache that many Afghanistan women have endured over the last 40 years.

The novel takes you into the lives of two women, Mariam and Laila. Both grew up in separate towns in Afghanistan, but later find their lives intersecting in a most unwelcome way. After understanding that they only had one another, they began to bond over crushed dreams, day to day heartaches, and past wounds. Their story is one of oppression, but also one of compassion.

I don't want to give too much away. You should read this book, though. I won't promise that it won't infuriate you or make you wonder if there's hope at all for them, but it's one that you don't want to miss. It kind of puts this whole pay freeze into perspective. Sure, it's annoying. But we're so much better off than so many people in this world!

³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well

We're headed "home" tomorrow. Wish us safe travels and we'll chat again soon!

Love,